Archive for August, 2009
Operation Christmas Child Countdown Event
August 31st, 2009 | 
Author: SAVE the DATE! Operation Christmas Child Countdown Event!
September 26, 2009 10am-12pm
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
13901 Fairview Dr.
Burnsville, MN 55337
It’s so much more than just a shoe box! Please join us for an Operation Christmas Child Countdown Event! You will hear stories from Justin Byakweli, (OCC Regional Director for 13 countries in Africa.) and a story from a student who received a shoe box while in a Russian Orphanage.
You can also pickup your Deco Boxes. This is a one-time exclusive offering of decorated shoe boxes! Please RSVP the number of boxes you would like to request. (Please only request the number of boxes you can use this year.)
“Over 500 Children were present and all of them received their shoe box gift and the Greatest Gift of All booklet. Muslim leaders were helping us by distributing the literature to the children. After we finished the distribution at 8:00 in the evening we slept outside together with their goats, chickens, donkeys, and dogs. All night the villagers were asking me questions about Jesus and about having a relationship with God and Jesus.” Justin Byakweli
RSVP: 612-359-7025, rpetersen@samaritan.org
Please share this with anyone you know who might be interested in attending!
Charity Garden Tour for Operation Christmas Child hosted by Girl Scouts
Start: 08/30/2009 – 2:00pm
End: 08/30/2009 – 5:00pm
Timezone: Etc/GMT-5
Families are invited to view Master Gardner, Jane and LeRoy Horn’s award winning garden gallery: a unique mix of plants, flowers and sculpture. Admission fee is school supplies for Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes (sugg. $5 value/family) Attending girl scouts can earn either the brownie Plants badge or the junior Plants and Animals badge. The garden will be open Sunday August 30th from 2 – 5 p.m. at 5299 Candy Cove Trail in Prior Lake. After visiting the garden gallery stroll down to the lake access and join us for s’mores. Questions call 612-227-7590.
Charity Garden Tour for Operation Christmas Child hosted by Girl Scouts (The Savage Pacer)
Start: 08/30/2009 – 2:00pm End: 08/30/2009 – 5:00pm Timezone: Etc/GMT-5 Families are invited to view Master Gardner, Jane and LeRoy Horn’s award winning garden gallery: a unique mix of plants, flowers and sculpture. Admission fee is school supplies for Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes (sugg.
Operation Christmas Child Testimonial
From Sheri Wood, Twin Cities Area Coordinator, Operation Christmas Child
In February of 2006, I was privileged to go on Shoe Box Distribution with Operation Christmas Child to the country of Jamaica. Most of the distributions took place in the Jamaican schools. When I told the children I was from Minnesota where we have snow, the children all laughed and shivered with excitement.
I wanted to bring something with me that was from Minnesota and being a Viking fan I decided to put in one shoe box a hat and shirt from the Minnesota Vikings. As you can see, the boy receiving it was so thrilled and touched he proudly put it right on. Another big hit with the children was pencils. I will never forget one girl who was so thrilled with a box of pencils that she squealed with delight.
In many areas of the world children can attend school if they have the needed school supplies (pencil and paper). If we put school supplies in shoe boxes, we allow children to receive a gift most likely for the first time, learn about Jesus and get an education!
Fans Encouraged to Donate School Supplies at Friday’s Viking’ Game
See more about this story at: http://bit.ly/4qZfGI
TWIN CITIES, Minn., August 18, 2009 — The Minnesota Vikings will collect school supplies for Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Gifts at their Friday, August 21 pre-season game at the Metrodome. By adding a few extra items to their back-to-school shopping lists, Vikings fans are joining the effort to help some 8 million hurting children in more than 100 countries worldwide.
“We constantly hear from the field that school supplies are one of the most important items to put into a shoe box gift,” said Nicole Sheldon, Upper Midwest Regional Director for Operation Christmas Child. “A gift of pencils, erasers, and a notebook can mean the difference of a child attending school or staying home for the year.”
Operation Christmas Child, a project of international relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, encourages volunteers to fill simple shoe box gifts with toys, necessity items, school supplies, candy and often hand-written notes of encouragement. The gifts are then hand-delivered to children worldwide who are suffering because of natural disaster, disease, war, terrorism, famine and poverty.
Bishop Nelly Chikwanda, National Leadership Team Coordinator for Zambia, shared the importance of receiving school supplies in the shoe boxes, “You are preserving their lives. One pencil in a shoe box can literally make the difference if that child attends school or not.”
Bishop Nelly added, “Preserving one child is preserving a nation. You have never been (to Zambia) but your box, your effort, your love has been there.” Chikwanda asks that each Operation Christmas Child shoe box gift include a note encouraging kids to continue in school.
Many families in Zambia and the other 100 countries Operation Christmas Child reaches have to choose between food or school supplies. “Right now is the best time to buy school supplies – some are even free,” added Sheldon.
Operation Christmas Child is aiding local families by tracking the best deals on schools supplies and posting the sale prices by store on their Facebook page at Operation Christmas Child – Twin Cities. The goal is to encourage families to buy one and give one when school supplies are on sale and sometimes free.
The donated school supplies will be part of an Operation Christmas Child packing party hosted by the Minnesota Vikings in November.
For more information, visit our contact page: http://occtc.org/contact
Operation Christmas Child 2009
Even in New Zealand…Operation Christmas Child is making a difference all over the world. How are you personally making a difference in the world from the place where you are at right now?
OCC gives businesses, churches, families and people the opportunity to do something with what you have and where you’re are to change the future of a child who has nothing.
Watch this video and see how one family is making a difference and spreading the message!
Join us today and make a difference too!
Contact us for more information:
Annette Sova-Peterson
Volunteer OCC
Community Relelations CoordinatorPhone: 612-868-8302
annsova@usfamily.net
Luanne Anderson
612-599-0574
kalason@comcast.net
Operation Christmas Child Around the World
Did you know that Operation Christmas Child is not just in the United States of America? Although Franklin Graham is from the U.S., the organizations he founded (Samaritans Purse and Operation Christmas Child) successfully operate all around the world.
Because of the amazing mission of Samaritans Purse and the power of God, Samaritans Purse is able to do what most governments could only dream of accomplishing: multi national collaborated efforts that bring relief to hurting children and families ~ quickly and efficiently ~ without all the red tape. In fact, most of the efforts that make Samaritan’s Purse so effective are the Volunteer Efforts.
Here is a short film about Operation Christmas Child in Canada ~ partners in Christ for Christ.
Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the message of Gods unconditional love. Anyone can participate in this simple, hands-on project.Last season, 713,294 shoe boxes from Canada were collected and distributed to children in more than 15 countries.
Each gift is a special reminder to a child that he or she is loved. Delivered by teams of local pastors, charities, and civic leaders, Operation Christmas Child gifts provide opportunities to make a lasting impact on children, families and communities. Often, the shoe boxes open doors to provide other aid, allowing Samaritans Purse to provide resources for a better tomorrow.
Operation Christmas Child focuses on the true meaning of Christmas Jesus Christ Gods greatest gift. Separate from the shoe box and when culturally appropriate, we offer children The Greatest Gift of All, an illustrated Bible storybook in the local language. When possible, children can further explore a faith in Jesus Christ through a voluntary Bible study program.
The shoe boxes dont leave Canada on their journey overseas without first making an impact on the people who pack them. The project fosters compassion in Canadian families, individuals, and businesses by expanding their world view and showing how it is greater to give than to receive.
The Twin Cities Operation Christmas Child efforts are in full swing; can you help us reach our goal?
Contact us to find out how:
Annette Sova-Peterson
Volunteer OCC
Community Relelations CoordinatorPhone: 612-868-8302
annsova@usfamily.net
Luanne Anderson
612-599-0574
kalason@comcast.net
Operation Christmas Child
Welcome to the Operation Christmas Child Twin Cites Area Blog.
Here you will find updates on our progress towards sending thousands OCC gifts to kids around the world.
Last year, Operation Christmas Child in the Twin Cities partnered with over 1,500 members of the Girl Scout to send special gifts to children all over the world. This Christmas, they have a goal of 3,000 Girl Scouts and many or gifts.
We need your help to make it happen. If you are a Girl Scout or Girl Scout leader and would like to make a difference in the lives of children around the world this Christmas, take a moment to contact us and find out how to get your troop involved in the Twin Cities Area Operation Christmas Child.
Even if you’re not a Girl Scout, we want your help too. Take a look through the information on this site and contact us to find out where your special talents can be used to bless children and families that you may never meet, but will have personally touched.
What is Operation Christmas Child?
Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, more than 61 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped, and delivered across the globe. People of all ages can be involved in this simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ.